From: Laurie alderman
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2024 4:40 PM
To: Kevin Patterson <[email protected]>; Carleton L. Briggs Attorney at Law <[email protected]>; Damien O'Bid <[email protected]>; Laura Sparks <[email protected]>; Susan Harvey <[email protected]>; Kay Rivers <[email protected]>; Sylvia Lemus <[email protected]>; Ben Ford <[email protected]> Cc: David Rabbitt <[email protected]>; George Barich ; Jeremy Hay <[email protected]>; Craig Scott <[email protected]>; Chris Simmons <[email protected]>; Michael Ceremello Ceremello ; John H. Scott <[email protected]>; Noah Housh <[email protected]>; John Bakker <[email protected]>; Angela Courter <[email protected]> Subject: Criminalization of homelessness in Cotati leads to opportunities for civil lawsuits/citizens business comment.
CAUTION:EXTERNAL SENDER
If suspicious, do not click on links, open attachments, or provide credentials and report it by using the "Phish Alert Report" button.
(Kevin, this is also my citizens business comment for Tuesday's council meeting) I have been speaking out trying to get an agenda item on the Cotati City council about the code enforcement actions of the city and the implications for homeless persons in Cotati. It has been six months with not one action. When Kay Rivers tried to get at least an acknowledgement that it should be on the agenda, the mayor and Damien O'Bid shut her down. It is not a "private conversation" of what agenda items are to be presented. It is a very public process. If a citizen can't identify a problem and has pled with the council members for the problem to be addressed in public as an agenda item over six months, this is a major problem of the City's doing.
Here's the situation you have all caused by not making
homelessness/no habitation of vehicles, plus your recent code enforcement actions:
Public Comment
Why is homelessness criminalized in Cotati, not allowing either on public or private property?
If you are homeless in Cotati, you are a criminal. You are not allowed to habituate in a vehicle under the “no human habitation of vehicles” ordinance. As recent code enforcement actions have shown in Cotati, you can’t park on private property in someone’s driveway either or even pitch a tent, as you have to have connections to the sewer system where you habituate.
What choice as a homeless person do you have other to go to other cities?
As far as a staying in the city of Cotati, the City of Cotati is in great risk of a lawsuit because of this inability for the homeless to be on a public or private property here in Cotati. The City has not spent one dime on homeless services for many years. A homeless person who is Cotati, has no city shelter bed provided as an alternative to being on the street, so the person is allowed to stay in a public place. This is the Martin vs. Boise case that has led to many lawsuits including with the City of Sebastopol.
So, with the code enforcement team not allowing you to be on private property either and homelessness is a criminal act, the best bet is to go down to the Hub Plaza with your RV, a public place. While you will be committing a criminal act by being homeless in Cotati, the state law and the Federal Courts will support you staying put, as the City of Cotati has no homeless shelter beds to offer you. You’ll be able to sue the City for violating your civil rights if anyone tries to remove you from the Hub with your RV as there are no city-sponsored shelter beds.
That’s the situation that the City of Cotati code enforcement recent actions have led to, plus the not spending a dime on homelessness for its own citizens for many years. People such as myself who question this, are retaliated against for actually telling the truth…the truth costs monies that could be used on their salaries and pensions. The City of Cotati will spend, spend, spend monies for attorneys to crush your voice rather than actually spending the monies to help the homeless.
And when a good citizen asks for the issue to be an agenda item, the council and city staff ignore the pleas…. they know the financial status quo is what they are to protect. The City will not put even the shelter crisis issue on the agenda. Those pesky citizens with opposing voices and homeless persons are just in the way of them paying down unfunded pension liabilities and for cost overages for their blunder with the St. Joseph Park and Ride.
Come to Cotati as the City of Cotati has rolled out the welcome mat for the homeless to park on the streets with their backwards actions… what a messed up situation.
Sincerely, Laurie Alderman
Under the Public Records Act (California Government Code §7920.000-7931.000), e-mail messages of local agencies are public records which are subject to disclosure to the public or may be subpoenaed.